Claire Russell – Channel Swim (Part 12)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Claire Russell – Channel Swim (part 12) [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]En Route to France…   The Swim   The waiting was agony. First, we thought Sunday, then Monday, but then the weather looked better for Tuesday. The 6pm forecast the night before showed patchy fog. So even when we set off at 5.45 on Tuesday morning, we weren’t…

Claire Russell – Channel Swim (Part 10)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]En Route to France….. Part 10    –    1 week to go[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]The fun and frolics continue on Dover beach. 3 and 2-hour swims for me this weekend, not a great deal of need for lube, but it’s a shame to deprive them of so much fun! The theme this week was obvious by…

Claire Russell – Channel Swim (Part 9)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]En Route to France….Part 9    –   2 weeks to go   Only 2 weeks till my slot opens 20-27th July, and I am officially tapering.[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_column_text]I had the pleasure of practising with my swim buddy Ali this weekend. We have been swimming together since our first channel relay 10 years ago and we are…

Claire Russell – Channel Swim (Part 8)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]En Route To France    Part 8 … 3 weeks to go   This weekend sees a change of venue. On Friday 29th we had the privilege of seeing our enormously talented daughter graduate ( VERY proud and not at all biased!!)[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”88158″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]It was promising to be a very hot weekend, and we had…

Claire Russell – Channel Swim (Part 6)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Claire Russell – Channel Swim (part 6) …………..5 weeks to go   En route to France.. [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”88145″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Saturday 16th June … training was still in Dover, but in an event called the Champion of Champions, organised by the British Long Distance Swimming association (BLDSA) an iconic event recognised as being particularly tough.…

Claire Russell – Channel Swim (part 4)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Claire Russell – Channel Swim (part 4) [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] En route to France..   Week 3 and still no sunshine. Dover gave us a foggy welcome, all the sunshine is in London for the Royal Wedding… which incidentally was our theme this weekend. I had acquired the appropriate head gear. On Saturday I was tasked…

Claire Russell – Chanel Swim (part 1)

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Claire Russell – Chanel Swim (part 1) “En Route to the French Coast…….” Swimming the Channel for the Heart of Kent Hospice, to honour my mum[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text]Its April 23rd. The hottest April day in years. The hottest day ever for the London marathon. I don’t envy them. I am sitting in my garden, attached to…